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Detection Strategies DET0457 — Detection of Non-Application Layer Protocols for C2
DET0457

Detection of Non-Application Layer Protocols for C2

5 analytic(s) · 1 technique(s) detected

Analytics

5
AN1254 Analytic 1254
Windows

Anomalous use of ICMP or UDP by non-network service processes for data exfiltration or remote control, especially if traffic bypasses proxy infrastructure or shows unusual flow patterns.

WinEventLog:Sysmon EventCode=3, 22 NSM:Flow ICMP/UDP traffic (Wireshark, Suricata, Zeek)
[ProcessContextAllowList] Processes normally allowed to use ICMP/UDP (e.g., ping.exe, DNS resolver).
[ByteTransferAnomalyThreshold] Suspicion if client sends much more data than it receives (e.g., >90%).
[ProtocolUsageBaseline] Baseline which protocols are normal per host or segment (ICMP, UDP, etc.).
AN1255 Analytic 1255
Linux

ICMP or raw socket traffic generated by user-mode processes like bash, Python, or nc, typically using `ping`, `hping3`, or crafted packets via libpcap or scapy.

auditd:SYSCALL sendto/connect NSM:Flow icmp.log, weird.log
[RawSocketExecutionPath] Uncommon programs using raw sockets (e.g., netcat, Python, nmap).
[TimeWindow] Tunable window for correlating execution with network events (e.g., 2m).
AN1256 Analytic 1256
macOS

Unsigned binaries or interpreted scripts initiating non-standard protocols (ICMP, UDP, SOCKS) outside of baseline network behavior.

macos:unifiedlog com.apple.network NSM:Flow ICMP/UDP monitoring (tcpdump, Wireshark, Zeek)
[UnsignedBinaryNetworkUsage] Detection threshold for unsigned or transient binaries making ICMP/UDP calls.
AN1257 Analytic 1257
ESXi

VMCI (Virtual Machine Communication Interface) traffic between guest and host, or between VMs, originating from non-management tools or unauthorized binaries.

esxi:vmkernel VMCI syslog entries
[VMCIBackdoorProcess] Monitor for non-vSphere or VMware-native processes using VMCI.
[GuestToHostCommPattern] Baseline pattern of guest-to-host traffic vs anomaly (unexpected port, volume).
AN1258 Analytic 1258
Network Devices

Non-standard port/protocol pairings or low-entropy ICMP traffic resembling tunneling patterns (e.g., fixed-size pings with delays).

NSM:Firewall ICMP/UDP protocol anomaly NSM:Flow conn.log, icmp.log
[ProtocolEntropyThreshold] ICMP/UDP packet content entropy filter to identify encoded payloads.
[SessionDurationThreshold] Long ICMP/UDP sessions beyond expected limits (e.g., >5min).

Detected Techniques

1

Details

MITRE ID
DET0457
STIX ID
x-mitre-detection-strategy--2cb544af-ef54-4376-9608-b399ad67d3d6
Analytics
5
Techniques Detected
1
By Tactic
Command & Control
1
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